Automobile lamp-controller.



R. H. ENBIX & R. W. E. LOWELL.

AUTOMOBILE LAMP CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 7, 1910.

Patented July 25, 1911.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

51 Mum dons R. H. ENEIX & R. W. E. LOWELL.

AUTOMOBILE LAMP CONTROLLER. A'PPLIOATION FILED 001". 7, 1910.

Patented July 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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mu res Roy H. ENEIX AND RALPH w.

AUTOMOBILE LAMP-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PATENT oFFicE.

E. LOWELL, F ANITA, IOWA Patented July 25, 1911:

Application filed October 7, 1910. Serial No. 585,846.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, ROY H. ENEIX and RALPH lV. E. Lownnn, citizens of the United States, residing at Anita, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented certaimnew and useful Improvements in Anfor one of its objects to simplify and im-" prove the construction and increase the efficiency and 'utility in devices of this char.- acter. M 1

Another object-,pf the invention is to pro-' vide a device of "this character which may I be readily'coupled to and uncoupled from the, steering gear, and with means for lock ine'the lamp operating mechanismto the frame of the machine, so that the lamps are held stationary and not effected by the movements of the steering gear.

,With' these and othervobjects'in view the .4 invention consists in certain novel features 30 of construction and arrangement of the parts as hereaftershown and described and then specifically in the drawings is illustrated embodiment of the invention. 7

Figure 1 isa side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of an automobile with the improvement mmlied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the bearing of one of the lump supports. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 aredctail views enlarged, of the coupling means between the stccrin' mechanism and the operating rod of the lamps. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of the coupling between the connecting member of the lamp yoke mocha nism and the steering mechanism.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same referencecharacters.

The improved device may be applied without material structural changes to automobiles of various forms and makes, but-for the purpose of illustration is applied to a conventional uulomobilc frame, and in the drawings thus employed the side-members pointed out in theclaim; and, the preferred the 1am of the frame are indicated at 10,.1l, the

forward stubaxlcs at Iii-13, the forward wheels at- 14--l5, the steeringnrms at Il6-.17,

the connccting rod of the steering'arms at 18, the operating rod of the steering mechanism at 19, and the steering crnnk-arn1 at Y 20, the latter connected to a stub-shaft 21 carried by the frame ll. All of the parts are of the usual COIISlI'llctiOll.

The lamps are mounted for rotation upon the frame members 10'-ll, and are represcnted conventionally at 22 and supported by the forked members 21-25. support 24 is mounted for rotation in a bearing bracket 26 connected to the fame member 11, while the fork 25 is 'sup ported for rotation upon a bearing bracket 27- on the frame member 10. The stem of the-fork 24- extends below the frame member 11 and is threaded at its lower portion; The lamp su porting forks or horns, are recisely ali (e, and the description of one W1 1 snflice for both Thebracket bearings 26-27 are provided with step ball-bearings" to reduce The for lied the friction, and the stems ofthe lamp forks.

are threaded below the brackets til-provide means for coupling the operating arms there stem of the lamp fork to. Connectedto the Y which is located upon the frame member 11 is a bell-crank 'lever com risin an elbow portion 28 rigidly couple" to t e stem of the fork by jam-nuts 29 with mie arn 30 directed inwardly toward the fraineiinember 10, while the other arm '31 is-"directe'd rearwar'dly or substantially parailel with the" frame-member 11 when the lamp' fork is arranged to hold the lamp so that-"its rays of light are thrown in alincment with the frame member or directlyahead. The stem of the lamp fork whichis connected to the frame member 10 comprises a hub 32 rigidly coupled to the stem by, suitable jam-nuts with "a single arm: 33 directed 'rearwardly or in oarallelrelations-to the"ariii=3'1,;wh'en forks are arranged to hold the lamps-directed forwardly. The arms 31 -'--33' are coupled by a rod 34, so thatthe lamdpi forks are operated simultaneously. E xten ing inwardly from the member 20 is a lateral arm 35 directed upwardly at its inner end and terminating in a ball 36. At its 'outcr end the lateral arm 35'is threaded into the crank arm 20 and locked rigidly thereto by a jam-nut 37. Connected at one end at 88 to the arm 30 of the bell crank lever is a connecting rod 39, the rod being an important part of the improved device.

At 1ts rear, end the rod 39 is enlarged, as

shown at' 40, and formed in the enlarged portion is a cavity 41 adapted to receive the ball 36 of the lateral arm 35. The cavity 41 communicates at the lower end through the bottom of the enlarged portion 40 and fitting by the communicating portion around the neck of the arm next to the ball 36. Mounted to swing at 42 upon the enlarged portion of the rod 39 is a plate 43 which forms a closure to the cavity 41 and prevents the displacement of the ball 36. Theplate 43 is provided with a segmental slot 44 which fits around the neck portion of a clamp-screw 45. The slot 44 bears at its inner end upon the screw 45, and then by actuating the latter with a screw-driver or other implement the plate 43 can be' firmly clamped in position. By' this means an effectual ball and socket joint is formed between the lateral arm 35 and the rod 39. By

this arrangement it will be obvious that when the member 20 is actuated to move the steering mechanism the arm 35 will correspondingly {move the rod 39 and adjust the lamps which? are carried by the forks 24-25 to the same, extent as the wheels are cramped? Thus, when the operator actuates the steering mechanism the lamps are simultaneously actuated therewith, and the lights caused to follow the line of travel and light the roadway constantly in advance of the forwardwheels in all their varying positions.

In constructing the improved device it will be necessary to so arrange the parts that the rays of light will extend at all times parallel with the forward wheels, and the ratio of the are made by the steering arm 20 must equal the ratio of the are made by the lateral arm 35, and likewise to the arc-made by the bell-crank arm 31 and the lever arm 33. These proportions must necessarily be changed slightly with'machines of diflerent makes, but this would not constitute a departure from the principle of the invention or sacrifice any of its advantages. All of the parts are detachable and are-either screwed in place or retained by bolts or nuts.

The arms 30-31 and the hubs 28 are pref- Provision is made in the improved device erably forged from steel, while the" arm 33 for locking the rod 39 to the frame member 11, if for any reason. the lamp mechanism is not required, or when the machine is employed in-j the day time, and this locking mechanism comprises a bracket 46 depending from a plate 47 the latter rigidly con} nected in any suitable manner to the frame 11. At its lower end the bracket 46 is directed upwardly and terminates in a ball 48 corresponding to the ball 36 of the lateral arm 35. By this arrangement it will be obvious that by loosening the plate 43 the arm 39 maybe detached from the ball- 36"and coupled in the same manner to the ball-48,

and then restoring the plate 43 to its former position, and locking the rod 39 rigidly to the machine, will leave the arm 35 free to be moved with the steering gear, but without producing any movement upon the lamps.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is The combination wlth, the frame of an automobile, of lamp supports mounted for oscillation upon said frame, a steermg mechanism including a crank arm, a rod extending laterally from said crank arm and having a? ball at its freeend, a bracket device extending from said frame and having a ball at its free end, a connecting member coupled at one end to said lamp supports and having a socket at its other end for receiving the ball of the'lateral arm or the ball of the bracket device, a plate pivoted at one end to said connecting member and forming a closure to the socket thereof when in one position, and 3 means for locking said plate to said connecting member.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ROY H. ENEIX. RALPH w. E. LOWELL.

n. s. [1,. s.] 

